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  • WisBar News
    June 01, 2018

    U.W. Admissions: 117 New Lawyers Welcomed to the Profession

    The State Bar welcomes 117 new Wisconsin lawyers, graduates of the U.W. Law School. They come from across state, the country, and the world – and are setting out to make it a better place.
    Taking the oath

    Soon-to-be Wisconsin lawyers -- new alumni of the U.W. Law School -- take the Attorney’s Oath during a ceremony on May 21.

    See more photos of the event on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Facebook Page: 9 a.m. Ceremony, 10 a.m. Ceremony, 11 a.m. Ceremony, 1 p.m. Ceremony.

    June 1, 2018 – This class includes an admittee with four movants, one who landed a job in part because of something “nerdy” he wore to the interview, and one dedicated to helping the indigent. Several will work as law clerks, while others are public defenders. And quite a few are continuing a family tradition by becoming Wisconsin lawyers.

    They are graduates of the U.W. Law School, who took the Attorney’s Oath and signed the Supreme Court Roll May 30 in Madison, the final steps to becoming Wisconsin lawyers.

    At the ceremony in the Supreme Court Hearing Room in the Capitol building, the admittees received a warm welcome from the Wisconisn Supreme Court, and heard advice and bits of wisdom from Justice Daniel Kelly.

    People in Wisconsin, he said, have a welcoming nature, with “open hands and generous hearts” – characteristics not to be forgotten when practicing law. “We can be adversaries in the courtroom,” he said. “But we are never enemies.”

    Justice Daniel Kelly speaks

    Justice Daniel Kelly speaks to the soon-to-be lawyers.

    ‘I Just Want to Give Back’

    New lawyer Marisol Gonzalez Castillo, is setting out to work in immigration law in Milwaukee.

    Zhenlan Hu, from Nanjing China, hopes to practice patent law in New York – his background is in computer science.

    Daniela Hernandez plans to return to her native California to take the bar exam and practice in public interest and immigration law – perhaps also helping sexual assault victims.

    Nancy Younan

    Nancy Younan with her parents.

    Nancy Younan arrived in the U.S. from Egypt at age eight months. The first lawyer in her family, she is “smart and engaged,” and is aiming to practice in health law, said her mother, Sherein Younan. “I am beyond proud.”

    Kevin Miller is also headed to California – specifically, Silicon Valley, to work for a patent firm. Turns out, a certain tie clip may have helped him land the job. At the interview, he wore a tie clip with a Star Trek logo. “The interviewer was a huge Star Trek fan,” Miller said. “He said, ‘We are a firm full of nerds. You’ll fit in perfectly here.’”

    Jeffrey Ocwieja wanted to become a lawyer ever since he participated in a Law Day program as an eighth-grader, said his mother, Julianne. He grew up in the Kenosha area, and is headed to Grant County to work as a public defender. “He wants to work in social justice,” his mother said. “He said, ‘I just want to give back.’”

    Steven Miller

    Kevin Miller gives a familiar hand gesture from Star Trek in front of the name wall during the reception following the admissions ceremony.

    Family Traditions and Family Movants

    There’s Nicholas DeSantis, whose movant was none other than Chief Justice Pat Roggensack – he will work as her law clerk. Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Michael Fitzpatrick moved for admission Andrew Fabianczyk, who also will be his law clerk.

    Justin Padway, who became a Wisconsin lawyer in 2017, acted as movant for his brother Jared Padway – together they represent the third generation of Wisconsin lawyers. Their grandfather Milton Padway and father Will Padway practiced law together for more than two decades at Padway and Padway Ltd., Milwaukee, where their uncle, Nick Padway, is now a partner. Jared – with a science background – intends to pursue environmental law.

    Signing the Book

    Bole Yuan smiles as he signs the Supreme Court Roll book.

    Ellen Atterbury is following in her parents’ footsteps: Both parents, Lee Atterbury and Sally Atkinson, are Wisconsin lawyers. They agree that Ellen has the skills to be a trial lawyer. “She likes to argue,” her mother said. “And she will be a great lawyer,” said her father.

    Brenna McLaughlin is the fourth generation lawyer in her family. William Bolte as well as Nathanial Katz have both parents as lawyers, and are each following in their parents’ footsteps. Carolyn Friedman’s mother, a lawyer in Georgia and Illinois, moved her admission.

    Congratulations

    Justice Annette Ziegler congratulates new Wisconsin lawyer Jonathon Davies.

    Understanding the Good and the Bad

    New lawyer Anna Collins Peterson had four movants speaking on her behalf: father, James Peterson, a federal district judge; mother Susan Collins, an attorney with Associated Bank; father-in-law Darrell Behnke, an attorney with U.S. Bank; and mother-in-law, Michelle Behnke – former State Bar president and current treasurer of the American Bar Association.

    Perhaps a law degree was always in the cards for Peterson. Law as a practice was a constant dinner-table discussion while she was growing up, said Collins. “By the time Anna was 8 years old, she had attended Federal Jurisdiction classes, read Harry Potter books in the law review office, and learned that the Lexis representative always had chocolate,” Collins said. “When she decided to attend law school, she did so understanding both the good and the bad.”

    Anna chose law despite being warned away from the profession at first by her father. But she eventually came to realize that a career in law was her path. “It can be a service profession, but also intellectually interesting,” said Anna, who will be clerking for a U.S. District Court judge in Iowa for the next year and hopes to become a litigator.

    “Anna is a very deep thinker and an excellent writer,” said her mother-in-law, Michelle Behnke. “What will serve Anna best in the legal world is her willingness to read, re-read, and then read again.”

    Four Movants

    Anna Collins Peterson, center, stands with her four movants: in-laws Darrell and Michelle Behnke, left; and parents Susan Collins and Judge James Peterson, right.

    See more photos of the event on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Facebook Page:

    Welcome to these New Wisconsin Lawyers

    Alexandra Regan Abernethy, Madison

    Andrew Adams, Madison

    Lucas Allen, Gladwin, Michigan

    Allison V. Andrew, Loves Park, Illinois

    Hayley Irene Archer, Madison

    Adriana Aristeiguieta, Ashland

    Matthew Atkins, Madison

    Ellen Atterbury, Madison

    Andrew Baker, Madison

    Bela Ballo, Green Bay

    Caitlin Barden, Milwaukee

    Benjamin Becker, Madison

    Jessica Behling, Madison

    Nicholas Stephen Behrens, Chicago, Illinois

    Hannah M. Berkowitz, Madison

    Nicholas Bezier, Milwaukee

    Jenifer M. Bizzotto, Madison

    William David Bolte, La Crosse

    Alyssa Brandvold, Hammond

    Laura R. Brewer, Craigville, Indiana

    Allysa B. Brown, Madison

    Derek Brown, Madison

    Andrew J. Burdick, Madison

    Jaclyn Ann Ciano, Madison

    Tomas Clasen, Milwaukee

    Sherry Clay, Madison

    Jonathon Davies, Madison

    Cole Demeny, Madison

    Nicholas DeSantis, Madison

    Bradley J. D’Orazio, Verona

    Daniel Docter, Milwaukee

    Francis Donahue, Madison

    Ashley Duffy, Bayfield

    Olivia Ann Katherine Esser, Madison

    AJ Fabianczyk, Madison

    Michael Falk, New York

    Ray Feliz, Madison

    Carolyn Eve Friedman, Madison

    Rachel Gallagher, Madison

    Zachary Gautier-Klos, Madison

    Annie Getsinger, Windsor

    Katrina Geurts, Green Bay

    Marisol Gonzalez Castillo, Waukegan, Illinois

    Lance J. Goodman, Neenah

    Logan Hamilton, Washington, D.C.

    Randall Godfrey Born Hanson, Aberdeen, South Dakota

    Jonathan C. Heiden, Madison

    Daniela I. Hernandez, Madison

    Aubrey Davis Hetznecker, Brookfield

    Zhenlan Hu, Madison

    Shannon E. Huberty, West Allis

    Amy M. Johnson, Middleton

    Nathaniel L. Katz, Kenosha

    Sloan Evelyn Kessler, Madison

    Barbra Anna Klug, Madison

    Ena Kovacevic, Wauwatosa

    Ashley Anne Brown, Madison

    Laura Lamansky, Madison

     

    Colin M. Lane, Madison

    Storm Larson, Madison

    Sarah Lentes, Elmwood Park, Illinois

    Riley Leonard, Madison

    Afton Brianna Lewis, Madison

    Emily Liebman, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Andrew M. Lorenz, Madison

    Maria Lyon, Madison

    Greta Mattison Megna, Madison

    Gage Maurer, Verona

    Brenna R. McLaughlin, Madison

    TJ McNulty, Chicago, Illinois

    Jared Roger Mehre, Madison

    Jake Mertes, Macomb, Michigan

    Katlynn Michalski, Madison

    Brian Charles Miller, Chicago, Illinois

    Kevin Worthington Miller, Madison

    Riyad E. Moe, Madison

    Rei Morikawa, Tokyo, Japan

    Lillian Rose Nelson, Madison

    Nathaniel Niemeyer, Madison

    Timothy P. O’Connor, Madison

    Jeffrey Ocwieja, Mount Horeb

    Jared E. Padway, Madison

    Dustin Bradley Page, Chicago

    Mary Parmeter, Madison

    Emi Passini, Verona

    Beauregard William Patterson, Madison

    Rachel Marie Paulus, Milwaukee

    Emily Pellegrini, Madison

    Anna Collins Peterson, Madison

    Rachel Potter, Madison

    Justin Randall, Kalamazoo, Michigan

    John Rejowski, Burr Ridge, Illinois

    Joseph Alexander Roman, Chicago

    Dana Roth, Madison

    Michael Roy, Madison

    Joia Sanders, Madison

    Michelle Saney, Queens, New York

    Sarah E. Schuchardt, Verona

    Mason B. Schultz, La Crosse

    Patrick Shirley, Madison

    Connor Slivocka, Milwaukee

    Shane Solinger, Pierz, Minnesota

    Morgan Kathleen Stippel, Madison

    Matthew Stoiber, Madison

    Elizabeth Stone, Elm Grove

    Lucas Swank, Sharon

    Ailani Taylor, Madison

    Steven Thompson, Madison

    Khanh Tran, Greenfield

    Olga Tymouch, Chicago, Illinois

    Sydney VanBerg, Madison

    Laura Voegeli, Madison

    Galen Wang, Fullerton, California

    Chelsea Wilfong, Madison

    Hannah Wilson, Madison

    Nancy Younan, Madison

    Bole Yuan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Chelsea Therese Zielke, Madison



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